Process of making pipe flanges



Nov. 9 1926.

C. A. WITTER PROCESS OF MAKING PIPE. FLANGES Filed 001:. 29, 1924 INVENTOR C Q. M1220 BY i My ATTORNEY? Fatented Nov. a was.

. rnoonss or MAKING rirn rLAneEs.

Application filed. October 29, 1924. Serial No. 746,455.

This invention relates to the process of forging a plurality of pipe flanges of commercial size from a single ingot.

In general my invention contemplates the speeding up of production and the elimination of a large percentage of the waste incident to processes now being employed.

I aim to eliminate such waste by forging a plurality of pipe flanges from a single ingot whereby the amount of material allowed for draft is reduced, that is to say no allowance for draft is needed on the outermost diameters of thepipe flanges, with the exception of the largest flange.

It is apparent that a great saving of time is afforded by my process in that a plurality of flanges may be produced in practically the same time as one flange is produced by existingmethods which are known to me.

How these and various other objects and advantages can be realized through my invention will appear from my description hereinafter of the best process for the purpose known to me.

In the drawings Fig. view of the ingot;

1 is a perspective Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show results obtained by successive forging steps; and,

Fig. 5 shows a plurality of finished pipe flanges made from a single ingot.

The ingot 7 may be in the form of a cylinder or prism and is of a volume equal-to that ofthe flanges which it is desired to produce, plus certain allowances for draft and finish.

This ingot 7 is forged to the approximate contour which-the plurality of flanges would take, if placed one inside of the other as shown in Fig. 4:, the dotted lines represent ing the finished pipe flanges. The forging .may be accomplished by using any standard form of forging press preferably of the steam hammer type.

In the drawings I have shown three steps of forging'to bring the ingot to the above mentioned state, the first'step being one of flattening the ingot and increasing its diameter, the second step being one of further forging the flattened ingot to a configuration roughly resembling a plurality of concentric pip-e flanges and of increasing its di ameter, and the third step being one of forging. it to a shape more nearly approximating a plurality of finished concentric pipe flanges. i

' thereof.

During forging the humps 8 shown in Fig. 3 become the upstanding parts 10 of the flanges and the portions 9 become flattened forming the bases 11 of the flanges.

' As is well known in this art it is necessary to allow suflicient draft so that the forging may be easily separated from the die, which allowances I have shown on the outer diameter 12 and on the faces 13 and 14 of the upstanding parts 10 of the flanges.

I have found that a plurality of various sized flanges can be produced one inside the other, in such a way that bi removing the amount of metal required for draft on the surfaces 14, the outer flange will have the proper inside diameter and the adjacent inner one will have the proper outside diameter. Removal of this metal may be accomplished either by shearing or by a parting tool. In cases where a more finished procluct is desired I propose to machine the outer surfaces 12 and the upper and lower surfaces 15 and 16 respectively. The hole 1? in the innermost flange may be machined or sheared.

It is to be understood that all of the flanges may be separated in one operation or by successive operations as desired.

When forging pipe flanges, one at a time, it is necessary to make allowance for draft both at its innermost and outermost diameters, while by my process, allowance at the outermost diameters of the various flanges making up a setis eliminated with the exceptionof course of the largest pipe flange.

The surfaces 13 and 18 are forged to act-ual dimension and need no machining, unless a finish all over is particularly specified.

I claim: 2 I a 1. The process of making pipe flanges which consists in forging an ingot to the approximate contour of a plurality of substantially concentric connected pipe flanges, in

forging some of the surfaces to size, and in separating sald flanges so as to finish the 1ns1de' diameters and the outside edges 2. The process of making a plurality of pipe flanges of successively increasing diameters from a single ingot, which consists in forging the ingot to a flat shape ofapproximately the diameter of the largest flange, of then forging it to the approximate contour of a plurality of substantially concentric pipe flanges connected by the draft allowance and in then separating said pipeflanges by removingthe draft allowance.

3. The process of making pipeflanges which consists in forging an ingot to, a. shape having a flat bottom and an upper face having a plurality of concentric upstanding ribs and in separating said ribs at a point adjae cent the inside diameters thereof. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

C A. WITTER. 

